A 'Second Life' for NATO Staffers

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A 'Second Life' for NATO Staffers

NATO's got a new plan for training up employees and running the alliance's day-to-day business: create a virtual world.

That's right: The organization is after software models that would simulate its real-world headquarters (pictured here), as well as NATO's North American command center, the Headquarters Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, Va. The 3D programs would be used for training purposes and meetings, and NATO hopes they'll improve staff communication and productivity, while circumventing "the inhibitions to collaboration posed by physical distance and time zones."

This isn't the first time NATO has toyed with virtual training programs. In February, they requested a computerized replica of Afghanistan, complete with data on Afghan economics, politics and culture, to be used by war planners in decision-making considerations. And two years ago, the Navy asked for the same thing, but with Iraq as the targeted 3D nation.

Of course, mapping an entire country is a much bigger challenge than replicating a few command stations, but NATO's still got lofty goals for the new training program. They want a world that's physically realistic and real-time, and continues to run even when users aren't "in-world." Plus, each staffer will be represented with an avatar.

Sounds a lot like a virtual reality computer game, and that's the idea. NATO's restricted the solicitation to three existing universe-makers: they've tapped ECS and Forterra, who design private virtual worlds for businesses and schools. The third choice? Linden Labs, the creators of Second Life.

But gamers should hold off before flooding NATO offices with job applications: the virtual world solicitations are due by September 8th, and the Second Life universe doesn't meet the agency's stringent technical security requirements.